Williams driver Alex Albon was ruled out of the Canadian Grand Prix sprint qualifying on May 22 after hitting a groundhog during the sole practice session at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and crashing his car [1, 2]. The incident caused extensive damage to Albon's car, forcing the team to replace both the gearbox and the power unit [1, 2].
The Williams team said in a statement, "Following the incident in FP1 involving wildlife on track, Alex will not run in this afternoon's sprint qualifying session" [1]. They added, "Despite the best efforts of the team to repair the car, the damage sustained was far more extensive than originally thought, requiring the gearbox and PU (power unit) to be replaced" [2].
Groundhogs crossing the track have long been a hazard at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, posing risks to drivers during sessions [1, 2]. Albon is known for his fondness of animals and shares pictures of his family cats, horses, and dog on his Instagram page 'Albon Pets' [1, 2].
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson was also ruled out of qualifying after suffering a hydraulics failure during practice [1, 2].
With repairs on Albon’s car impossible to complete in time, he will miss the sprint qualifying session scheduled for later today.